Cinderella Cast Recording Exclusive First Listen — Page 3

Can we all relish the fact that this recording captures a young soprano leading lady and a young baritone leading man? As most new shows feature high-belting men and women (which can be impressive and amazing), we don't get many shows with roles like these. And wow, is it beautifully sung in this production and on this recording. I know it's sort of the R&H formula, but it's refreshing to hear.

'I must admit that when I read the first comment my thought was that in BONNIE & CLYDE she was using a "character voice." But, Reggie, can you explain why you prefer it to a regular voice?'

It isn't a 'character voice', it's a pop styling. I never said I preferred it, but different stylings have their place in the theater - Laura would have sounded ridiculous if she had sung Bonnie the way she sings Cinderella. Now personally, I think she sounded incredible in Bonnie & Clyde, but not liking her voice in that show has a lot more to do with not liking the style of the show than the singer involved.

Thing is, singers like Laura, and Jeremy Jordan, and Aaron Tveit are trained classically. They have magnificent instruments that they are able to manipulate to fit the needs of each show. They aren't using character voices, they're simply making use of different resonators to create twangier, brighter, beltier sounds that fit the shows they're in.

People on these boards, in particular, who really tend to understand very little about performing, tend to judge those performers based purely on one show, and that can get annoying.

After seeing the show in New York and listening to the Cast Recording I definitely think "The Pursuit" in this show is better than the one in Walt Disney's version. I also thought it worked very well on stage.

As I mentioned earlier, while there are many pluses in the 1950 film version of the story. But one of the negatives of it is that "The Stroke of Midnight" scene's music was always too intense for me as a child. Listen to it beginning at 0:23 in this clip and it especially becomes VERY INTENSE at 1:00. Also, that scene made it look like the Grand Duke and the palace guards were EVIL. Look at the way the guards and the horses are designed beginning at 1:03.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlyMkmKA--E

The scene used to give me nightmare Plus, this reviewer agrees with me.

"SCARES

*****

The King’s soldiers sent to “capture” Cinderella’s coach are quite sinister as well, swirls of black and red reminiscent of the Headless Horseman."

I also did not think the scene where Madame rips the dress that Gabrielle gave Cinderella was as brutal as the scene where Drizella and Anastasia destroy Cinderella's dress.

"But when Drizella and Anastasia physically attack Cinderella to take back their “stolen” property, it’s bloody terrifying."

http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2013/03/23/disney-53-week-12-cinderella/

Updated On: 6/4/13 at 02:18 PM